


Eschaton

by Spoonsie2



Series: TFA: Homecoming [1]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Animated (2007)
Genre: Abuse, Abusive Relationships, Alternate Timelines, Art, Blood, Divergent Timelines, Each chapter WILL have it's own artwork, Fanart, I'm not the best at writing abusive characters but just believe me when I say Unicron is a vile SOB, So it focuses on the Galvs, Unicron is a abusive master basically, implied major character death, it started out as a back story for my Galvatron but then went further, my own Galvatron design/concept., the bad future timeline Cyclonus comes from basically
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-05-26
Updated: 2019-04-13
Packaged: 2019-05-14 04:31:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 11,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14762645
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Spoonsie2/pseuds/Spoonsie2
Summary: Cyclonus doesn't talk a lot about the "future timeline" he came from, he never mentions that it turned out so much differently than the current one.It turned out apocalyptic, yet a new leader was forged from it, one Cyclonus remembers fondly.





	1. Chapter 1

Everything was almost going perfectly!

Sure the Lugnut Supreme’s had been taken over but Megatron knew exactly what he was going to do to that traitor when he found him... but right now the Autobot before him and his mockery of ‘flight’ were the real prize.  
He wanted him dead and he wanted it now.

So when a bundle of Seeker clones swamped him, Megatron could only howl in fury at how they took after their creator and his backstabbing streak as they prevented you from escaping the exploding Supreme’s blast, he couldn’t even keep that blasted Autobot in with him!  
Megatron at least tried, he attempted to fly out, continue the fight but all that did was fling him upwards.

Out and away from Earth.

The only satisfaction Megatron had was that he was surrounded by Seeker corpses, but with his current injuries and energon leakage, he’d soon be joining them too.

The long aimless float through space… hurt.  
It was so vast and you so insignificant and the times you had to really make your name, your mark, on the universe were continually being thwarted even now.

With only himself to talk to Megatron was surprised when he answered back, yet also not surprised, after all, the energon-loss was surely making him woozy.

But no... Looking up Megatron saw himself, enveloped in a green fire!

Megatron, the other Megatron, stood there like space itself had warped to give him a platform.  
The fire seeped from seams in his armour as if he was being powered by some ethereal force, the strongest you’d ever seen.  
He wanted it.

The other Megatron smiled as if reading his thoughts, with an outstretched servo it spoke, voice echoing as if hundreds spoke in unison.  
To you, it offered a deal.  
The power for total galactic domination and revenge, in exchange for a partnership.

Seemed simple enough, all it wanted him to do was smash something for it.  
What a loser, clearly whoever this version of Megatron was they traded their processing power for literal power.  
Megatron smiled accepting his offer.

He took the beings offer and in the blink of an optic the flames enveloping his other self, snaked over to him then, he was burning, searing agony, stretching metal and molten heat poured through him until he was new, reformed.

And pretty purple.

Around him he saw the Seekers burning and melting, the same energy that had consumed him was practically burning away at their forms revealing new ones underneath.

The figure was still shrouded in green flame but it was different, it reflected his new form, it told him his new name:  
Galvatron!

And these new troops - Cyclonus, the warrior and Scourge the huntsman and his army of Sweeps.

All this to destroy one measly object?...  
Revenge shall be had.

Under his new master's direction, he travelled to Cybertron and Cybertron fell before him.  
He found that Autobot, parading like a hero, he found him and made him into a message for all to see, for all to know this was the beginning of their downfall.

It was so EASY.  
Galvatron had never before considered simply charging Cybertron and taking it by force, even when he had more troops to command.

But this… This was so much fun!  
The exhilaration of torment and destruction!

It was years of slaughter, and y’know what it felt good! So good it physically hurt NOT to kill.  
It. Felt. Good. To. Obey.  
But no, no, that voice was demanding, very demanding.

He told him he was no toy, not a thing to be played with.  
Galvatron could almost hear it smile before his spinal strut was twisted and snapped.  
Galvatron could only gasp and lay stunned, something deep in his processor telling him not to give the force the satisfaction of his scream but he could barely hold it back.  
It would take a while for this to be repaired.

Especially when your own troops ran away from you.  
Ungrateful!  
You’d think after being released from prison and leading a successful charge against Cybertron they’d be happy? But no, they cowered from you and your lieutenants hurrying to avoid optical contact.

As Galvatron crawled back to his base, spinal strut popping with the effort, he could hear that voice again.  
It was right, absolutely right.  
It cared about him… it hadn’t run away! Surely… Surely that meant it cared… They were just spineless parasites running away from true power! Yes… That was it… That voice was always right… Just look at what it gave you! More than they ever did!

Cyclonus and Scourge took him away, deft yet quiet servo’s fixing your back seamlessly.

See? See!? They weren’t… they weren’t ingrates!  
They were good!  
They were strong! Loyal!

They rarely spoke, however… it just left more room for your master to speak.

Such quiet things, drowned out by the rumbling echo of your master… Galvatron almost didn’t see Cyclonus as he slipped down a corridor and into a dark room.  
Arms hanging limply, covered in spider web cracks seeping precious Energon.

Galvatron hardly saw Scourge as he huffed and gurgled, Energon around his oral cavity gasping quietly as he barely took in any air.

Galvatron told himself it was alright.

The voice said something… Galvatron didn’t like it… Pet? Toy?

How dare it! He was strong, he was powerful! Look at how the Autobots cowered!  
This wasn’t the strength of any pet or toy!  
He belonged to nobody!

It hurt again, like a thousand needles piercing his processor, each one screaming as they went in.  
Galvatron couldn’t remember where he was but he dropped and fell, rolling pathetically down some steps.

One who gave power can also control it and take it away.

It wasn’t like he was useless, unwanted and hopeless without Master… Right? Master was wrong… Right?  
Galvatron didn’t need him to be strong… Right?

Yet it felt so… rewarding to go back to him, to do what he said, he could almost forget that his legs were snapped the wrong way that morning when he dared idle as his Master spoke.

It was only when that stupid Autobot that had taken command this time showed up. Galvatron didn’t know their name, he didn’t need to know the name of a soon-to-be corpse anyway. Yet this day the Autobot had the AllSpark around its neck, there was an urge to destroy that first.

That? That was the trinket his Master desired destroyed?

Pitiful!

But Master would be happy with it gone. Master would praise you. Master wouldn’t break your back again.

Fighting the Autobot was a cinch.  
They had become hardened over the time you had spent chasing them, hurting them, thinning their numbers.

Yet still, this one faltered, preparation ill-compared to the real thing.

Make Master happy now, Galvatron.

The purple mecha lunged, claws spread and stretched ready to tear the throat from this new distraction but he ducked and dodged, speed being more this fellow’s thing.  
Then again Galvatron found himself not aiming for the Autobot.

Need to get that glowing blue crystal around his neck...  
It’s what Master wants! He’ll be happy when you destroy it for him! Then it’ll all be better again! It’ll be fine! Crush it for Master!

The tip of one of the two handles that adorned either side of it, snagged on one of his claws. It was enough and Galvatron twisted around mid-flow, bringing his fist up and directly into it’s glowing core.

And then everything… went.

It wasn’t like falling unconscious, no, Galvatron was conscious on some level but every sensor array had shut down.  
Everything was gone.

Weird, strange, disconnected.  
All of those words accurately described what he felt right now yet there was another thing.

Silence.

Master’s voice no longer rang in his head.

Galvatron frowned, or at least he thought he was, he wasn’t thinking the same.  
Master wasn’t Master any more, instead, a new word… No, name, came up in his processor whenever he thought of him…

Unicron.

The name rang bitterly, yet sensations started returning to him and Galvatron felt almost as if he were in a stream, the cool liquids washing over him, clearing him of dirt and filth.

Just as quickly as it came it went and Galvatron could see again.

He was in a chamber, so tiny, his servo’s and pede’s clamped tightly in a pair of stasis cuffs.  
Only two?  
How pitiful.

Galvatron pulled and the cuffs around his servo’s snapped, a twitch of the leg and the ones around them popped off. A strong punch above him and the ceiling to this tiny place buckled and tore away.

Voices screamed and figures ran as Galvatron climbed out of the stasis pod they were attempting to seal him in.

Fools! They had nothing that could contain Galvatron!

Galvatron tore his way through a wall, part of it crumbling and crushing some Mecha’s leg.  
They screamed, fear and pain making the noise intolerable.

For the first time in cycles hearing that scream felt… awful.

Panic flew through his Processor and Galvatron smashed his way through another wall.  
If he just kept going in one direction surely he’ll be out of the enemy base eventually?

“ **WELCOME BACK** ” That voice, Mas- no, _Unicron’s_ voice… It sounded so distant when usually it sounded so close.

Feeling dread poke at his spark Galvatron whined, optics going blurry as he furiously bashed his way through the base.

“ **THIS IS NEW, ISN’T IT PET?** ”

No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, go away.

“ **DO NOT FEAR MY LITTLE PET** ” Unicron’s voice whispered quietly as a figure popped up before Galvatron, “ **YOU KNOW WHAT TO DO** ”

Galvatron screamed, what else could he do? He lunged forth, grabbing the figure, swinging it, beating it, clawing it, biting it, all until it stopped moving and something warm trickled down Galvatron’s front.

The last wall crumbled as Galvatron didn’t even bother to hit it, he just ran, burning ash and churning rust assaulted his olfactory sensors.  
Galvatron flung his arm out, firing wildly at anything that seemed remotely person-shaped, continuing to charge across the landscape until figures that were slightly more familiar flew around him.

Only then did he slow, did he stop.  
Did he look.

His cannon still smoked and Energon was splattered across his frame.  
Yet everyone else matched that kind of description too.

It was carnage, twisted carnage.  
Mecha all bearing a familiar purple crest rushed not to look at him, burns and breaks littering their frames, fear in their optics, corpses at their pede’s.

Pain in their sparks.

“ **WHAT’S THE MATTER PET? WE WERE SO CLOSE TO WINNING THIS ALL, COME BACK TO ME** ” Toxic green energy tinged the rims of Galvatron’s vision and heat spread across his faceplates.

Others of these mechas looked at him too, but they had something else in their optics, hope? No, it couldn’t be hope… it was so hollow and empty…

‘My brethren’ Galvatron could hear a voice in the back of his head, a new one, grey servo’s stretching out to a crowd of faces.

It was him, but it wasn’t him.

‘Together we will liberate our home of the tyranny it has been crushed by’

No, no, it was all lies! Filthy dirty lies! Replacing tyranny with tyranny is no sort of liberation! You liar! You filthy, dirty, awful liar!.

More heat spread across Galvatron's face.

It was Megatron…  
It was him…  
The lies, the manipulation, the pain…

It was all him.

“ **WHAT ARE YOU UPSET ABOUT DARLING? I TOLD YOU ONCE BEFORE, WE’RE NOT SO DIFFERENT AND THAT IS WHY YOU WILL ALWAYS COME BACK** ”

There was pain now, like hot claws dragging themselves over his internal systems, while cool hands rubbed at his shoulder struts like someone gently comforting him.

“N... no...this isn't... NO NO NO... please…” for the first time Galvatron heard his own voice, tired, strained, pleading, begging as the tears continued to roll down his face.

They deserved better.


	2. Chapter 2

Behind him, familiar whirs and the sounds of engines humming drew his attention.

Cyclonus.  
Scourge.  
Sweeps.

They stood tantalisingly close to him.

“Y… you?” Galvatron croaked, vocal unit hoarse and struggling through panic.

Neither of them responded.

“My… friends? Right?” Galvatron swallowed, he could feel his faceplates twitching uncontrollably as he looked at them.

Their own faceplates didn’t move a nanometre.

“Please?”

“ **GO ON MY DEAR, ‘SAVE’ THEM** ”

“W… what?” Galvatron had almost… no, he just wanted to forget Unicron’s voice still spoke to him.

“ **PROVE IT, GO ON, SAVE THEM, I’LL WAIT, YOU KNOW I WILL** ”

The Sweeps hunched over, their wings twitching as if preparing for something.  
Scourge and Cyclonus still stood, frozen, monolithic, their optics devoid of colour, devoid of emotion, devoid of anything apart from a gradually building… green energy.

“ **I’LL TAKE YOU BACK WHEN YOU FAIL, YOU KNOW YOUR PLACE IS WITH ME** ”

The duo’s optics were now completely green.

A shuffle from behind prompted Galvatron to turn, all the Decepticons were still stood there, confused, worried, nervous, but mostly, scared.

“Run! All of you! G… Get away!” Galvatron gasped fear shooting through his spark as he had no idea what Unicron was going to do.

Immediately the Sweeps flocked to the air, smothering the sky with their forms.  
Startled and still panicked the Decepticons scattered in all directions, some running into Sweeps as the deadly flock began to land, others thankfully bolting over the horizon.  
The unlucky ones were being throttled by the Sweeps, uncaring servo's clamping over them and throwing them around like ragdolls.

The howling and fearful yells were an awful cacophony only dying when the Sweeps achieved their goal.

It was a ring.

They cleared out a… oh no.

Galvatron turned back around again.  
Cyclonus had both blades drawn, Scourge had his dental units bared.

“Please, don’t do this, I don’t want t-”

Scourge lunged, claws stout hands colliding with his face immediately as his third-in-command charged him, claws going in every direction he looked. Galvatron could barely see past the barrage let alone look.

Galvatron screamed.  
It was no one-on-one.

While Scourge had him pinned Cyclonus stepped forth and drove a sword through his leg, pinning it to the ground.  
It felt as though his armour plating was paper thin and folding in on itself as if it were in a vacuum, all around the searing pain of the blade going right through his leg.  
The strange thin feeling… Cyclonus was sucking out his energy!

So this is what it felt like...

Galvatron had weight on his side when it came to Scourge.  
Fighting the swelling numbness in his leg Galvatron forced himself to roll over, easily taking his smaller, lighter foe with him.

Scourge snarled viciously as Galvatron's bulk was atop him, dirt clung to the back of Galvatron's leg as he ripped up the very ground he was upon to even move it with Cyclonus’s sword through it.

Hooking claws into Scourge’s collar, Galvatron stood up and heaved the wild Decepticon off the floor.  
Twirling around he smashed the ‘con into Cyclonus who held his remaining sword aloft readying his next strike.

Both of them went sailing across the ground.

The only noise from them was Scourge, he’d barely stopped snarling since the fight began.

Galvatron grabbed the sword in his leg and pulled it out, wincing and gasping as sensation rushed back to his leg as the energon-soaked blade ceased to suck power from him.

A hand slammed into his wrist and Galvatron dropped the sword.  
In an instant, it was swooped off the ground.

Snapping upright Galvatron was face to face with Cyclonus who once more wielded both weapons.

Cyclonus stepped forward swinging a sword, it barely missed Galvatrons throat as the latter jumped backwards.  
Undeterred Cyclonus just kept walking, short, sharp whistles piercing the air as he made quick precise swings and jabs with his weapons.

The accuracy and aim, all were rearing to sever any part of Galvatron's life-supporting software.

“Cyclonus… Cyclonus PLEASE” Galvatron held up a servo trying to show his pacifism, each and every swing just barely missing him as he continued to back away at speed, “I don’t want this!”

Cyclonus just swung again, the tip of his sword slicing through the outer layers of Galvatron's palm.

Not a single emotion flickered across his face as Galvatron turned and ran, desperate to put some kind of distance between himself and them.

It was not to be, Scourge was already back and ready, waiting for his moment.

He descended upon Galvatron in a flurry of claws, dental units, punches, kicks and even his wing struts collided with any available space as Scourge dented and pulled at his plating.

Through the flurry of blue Galvatron could see an advancing figure.  
Grabbing onto anything he could Galvatron twisted Scourge around throwing him once more at Cyclonus, wise to this trick now Cyclonus tried to jump and dodge but Scourge’s large, ungainly wing struts collided with his legs and brought the horned Seeker down with him.

“Listen to me! I’m not here to fight!” Galvatron pleaded a small dent to the back of his helm started making more trouble than it was worth as he tried to stumble upright.

“ **BUT THEY ARE THOUGH, WHAT ABOUT THAT?** ”

“Shut up! Shut up! Shut up!” Galvatron grasped the sides of his helm groaning, a digit barely tracing that one small dent, cursing it for having knocked something in his cranial chamber to be causing such distress, “Hold it!”

Before him, Scourge and Cyclonus were already on their pede’s.  
Scourge just didn’t stop, he was wild, leaping at Galvatron, claws in every direction while Cyclonus was slow, advancing quietly on any opening left by the blue berserker and taking a swipe.

Galvatron did all that he could and fled.

He doubted he could get past the ring of Sweeps containing this arena of theirs but he couldn’t fight them.  
He didn’t want to fight them.

“Look!” Galvatron spun around, grabbing at his arm he wrenched the purple cannon from his form, “Weaponless! See?” He tossed the thing at their pede’s hoping it would work.

Instead, they continued charging, undeterred and only stepped over the abandoned weapon.

With a yelp Galvatron dived behind a rock, letting a sword collide with that rather than his face.  
A handful of dust barred Scourge from another set of attacks.

There was no choice…

He couldn’t talk to them…

Not like this…

Not… like… this…

He was unsure how it would be, how it would sound. His lip plates wouldn’t stop quivering.  
Scourge started a bellow, mid-leap, announcing his otherworldly fury.  
Galvatron cut him off, a roar of his own.  
This had to stop.

It had to.

Galvatron surged forwards bringing a fist up and slamming Scourge in the gut, his venting system immediately lost all air and with a yelp Scourge dropped struggling to collect himself.

A sword blurred past him, slicing a gash into Galvatron's arm, severing a few wires.  
Holding back the grunt, the pained wheeze and the fear in his optics, Galvatron reached out to the arm that swung at him, grabbing the wrists he yanked Cyclonus back, spinning on the spot he swung the seeker around before flinging them across the arena.

Several loud thud-like noises brought Galvatrons attention up, having recovered from the blow Scourge was up and in the air, wings beating menacingly as he swooped in kicking Galvatron in the face sending his former leader toppling backwards, bouncing onto his front

Satisfied with that Scourge landed on top of him, claws going to work at the plating on Galvatron's back.  
Uselessly squirming around in the dirt Galvatron struggled to get a grasp on the feral mech, the first solid thing he even remotely got a handle on was good enough and he tugged and pulled wildly at it, enraged snarls the only indication that it was any part of Scourge.  
Furious at the touch Scourge thrashed wildly, only giving Galvatron the slightest leverage.

It was small but he had to take anything, rolling over Galvatron once again pinned Scourge under his weight, twisting around so he was face to face with the out-of-it Mecha.

The hate-filled snarls contrasted by such dead, vacant green optics.  
It was chilling, Galvatron found his jaw mechanism flapping uselessly at the sight, words dying.

The useless flapping was better, Galvatron lower lip plate shook uncontrollably, the words still dying in his throat but running through his processor clear as day:  
‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…’  
Fist raised Galvatron punched Scourge square in the face.  
‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…’  
He continued to punch, Scourge still wouldn’t fall unconscious.  
‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry…’  
Another punch and this time at least his snarl sounded quieter.  
‘I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I’m sorry!...’  
Just go unconscious!  
Just stop fighting!

He swung another punch down at Scourge as he still continued to squirm and struggle, only this time a sharp noise pierced his audios.  
A sword swung through the space his arm previously occupied only just missing him by the most measly nanometre.

A quiet gasp escaped him as Galvatron lost all focus on Scourge, looking up at Cyclonus looming over him again.

The momentary lapse was all Scourge needed, undeterred by the barrage of assaults he just endured Scourge raised a clawed hand, successfully swiping at Galvatron's face.

Galvatron shrieked, his optic going offline as huge gashes split open his face letting boiling hot Energon spill out.  
Pain rocked through his systems as he pushed upright, processor and body screaming to get away from the pain but everything was too blinded by it to do so.

His hands clasped at his wounds, soft pained wails still rolling from his vocaliser.  
With his vision covered Galvatron only heard Cyclonus transform before the Seekers jets blasted him clear off his feet, sending him sailing across the arena, coming down with a series of painful thuds as he skipped across the ground like a limp toy.

Galvatron could only whimper softly at his own pain.  
What could he do against this?

Above him a dark shape circled before transforming again, glowing purple blades ready to strike again.  
With a grunt Galvatron tried to roll over, to avoid the swing, only one sword went sailing overhead.

The other hit it’s mark dangerously well, the side of Galvatron's chest split open like an overstuffed money-pouch the sword sinking in as if it always belonged there.

Galvatron couldn’t hear his own scream through the blizzard of agony, more vital mech fluid pouring out of him as if it had no choice.

He flailed wildly, spasmodic movements catching his assailant off guard, knocking him off letting Galvatron stand.  
If you could call it that.

Barely upright, barely able to stand still Galvatron struggled and hopped, trying to do something, anything to just… just try!.

“It’s for your own good!” He whined, trying one last time to bed, to plead, to just stop, “PLEASE!”

A howl caught his attention as Scourge bounded back into the fray.  
With a grunt turned gurgling-gasp of pain Galvatron grabbed the shorter mech, squeezing his throat between his claws and swinging the snarling shape upright holding him at arm's length.

A spasm rocked through Galvatron's body as he realised with a jolt of horror that not only was the wound to his chest seriously deep, but Cyclonus had left his sword in him, the hilt the only thing hanging out of him.  
Purple ‘veins’ spread out across his chest as the Sword began leeching his energy…  
Galvatrons free servo went out, catching Cyclonus and grasping his helm, but the Seeker didn’t care, didn’t even bother to swing his remaining sword, he just pushed onwards, pressing his face further into Galvatron's hand. Simply trying to bulldoze through anything the former leader had left.  
Scourge had not stopped struggling either.

Feeling familiar heat prick at his optics Galvatron knew he couldn’t keep this up for long…

“Please…


	3. Chapter 3

**“WELL…  NOW LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE”**

 

“S… shut up” His form tried to curl in on itself, agonising, shredding, torturous…

 

**“SO MUCH FOR ‘THEIR OWN GOOD’ HM? I TOLD YOU IT WOULDN’T WORK, COULD’VE DONE BETTER”**

 

“No, you, you… shut up...”

 

Galvatron’s systems heaved, the meagre contents of his fuel tank even deciding it wanted out and fled.

His body was slick with coolant and rivers of his own Energon. Dents and cuts covered him, crosshatching his once pristine armour, an awful momento of what he’d done.

 

He… Just… Wanted… To… Stop…

 

There was nothing left to come up, but his system tried anyways, heaving, making him choke on his own lubricants. He bowed forward, arms crossed over his chest, groaning. 

 

Why couldn’t? … Why can’t?....

 

Why did it have to come to this?...

 

He barely knew what happened, a rush of energy, a flow of power, endless noise like pained screaming…

Determination to help his friends? He hoped so… No…. It couldn’t be….

 

Cyclonus lay beaten… broken…. Optics dead to the world, they wouldn’t be coming back online for a while.

Scourge was no better. He lay like a thrown toy, his wings twisted over him as if they made some vein last-minute attempt to shield him…

 

He did this…

 

**“DON’T YOU LIKE YOUR HANDIWORK? I TOLD YOU, I APPRECIATE IT”**

 

“No! This is all YOUR fault!” Galvatron clasped his hands to his helm.

 

**“MY FAULT!? MINE? YOU’RE THE ONE WHO BROKE YOUR PROMISE TO ME! I TRUSTED YOU WITH MY POWER, A NEW LIFE, AND THIS IS HOW YOU REPAY ME? NO, I’M THE ONE WHO SHOULD BE OFFENDED!”**

 

“You should be gone!” Galvatron gasped, struggling for air. 

 

**“YOUR WORDS WOUND ME, DARLING, IF ONLY THIS WASN’T ALL YOUR FAULT...”**

 

“Shut up! This is… this is your doing!”

 

**“WE WORKED SO WELL TOGETHER, YOU KNOW YOUR PLACE IS WITH ME, I MADE YOU FEEL SO GOOD!”**

 

Galvatron felt his tank roll again.

“You… ruined us”

 

**“I GAVE YOU EVERYTHING YOU COULD’VE WANTED! AND LOOK WHAT YOU’VE DONE WITH IT! UNGRATEFUL! BUT IT’S OKAY, I FORGIVE YOU”**

 

“NO! I DON’T WANT THAT! I WANT YOU TO HATE ME BECAUSE I HATE YOU!”

 

**“OH HUSH NOW, I FORGIVE YOU MY CALLOUS PET, COME BACK TO ME AND I WILL MAKE IT ALL BETTER AGAIN, YOU WON’T BE ALONE ANYMORE”**

 

“YOU… you’ve stripped us of any meaning!” Galvatron wobbled on his pedes, the act of merely staying upright beginning to become a massive strain on his stabilisers, “Just… go...”

Galvatron wasn’t sure when the tears had welled up in his optics and began flowing again but they did so freely once more as Unicron's voice rang through him.

 

**“SAYS THE MECHA WHO JUST ASSAULTED THE ONLY TWO FRIENDS HE HAD”**

 

“YOU FORCED THAT! I WILL TAKE THEM FROM YOU! I WILL HELP THEM!”

 

**“YET YOU TOOK IT OUT ON THEM! WHO’D TAKE YOU IN NOW? ME, THAT’S WHO, I’M ALL YOU HAVE LEFT AND YOU KNOW IT! NOT EVEN THOSE TWO WILL TRUST YOU ANYMORE”**

 

An anguished scream tore through him, loud and clear, ringing across the desolate lands. 

“JUST GOOOOOOOOOO” Galvatron howled, he could feel tears dripping down his front and his systems burning, thoughts and emotions waged a war of their own through his spark and processor as embers danced in the air around him.   
Yet… he felt grey like all meaning was being sucked from him, life and vitality practically evaporating from his core.

 

The conflict hurt.

 

Why does it always have to hurt?

 

He just wanted… safety? No pain… Just...

 

Please…

 

Stop…

 

**“THIS CAN ALL BE MADE BETTER AGAIN, YOU KNOW I CAN DO THAT, YOU KNOW I HAVE WHAT YOU NEED, NO ONE ELSE WILL CARE FOR YOU LIKE I CARED FOR YOU!”**

 

Stop…

 

**“YOU ARE NOTHING WITHOUT ME!”**

 

Stop…

 

**“YOU NEED ME!”**

 

Stop…

 

**“I MADE YOU WHO YOU ARE! YOU OWE ME!”**

 

Please… 

 

**“NO ONE ELSE WILL EVER CARE ABout you...”**

 

Unicron's voice suddenly began to get quieter, it took him a few moments before Galvatron realised his own screaming was drowning its voice out.

 

Awful, ungodly howls and wails escaped him.

 

The warring thoughts and feelings reaching a crashing cacophony within the very fibre of his being, the beaten forms before him swimming through his head like a haunting Rust-shark circling for its next meal.

 

Galvatron felt like he exploded, everything went to a flaming static within his body, all sensors both reaching maximum strength yet shutting down all at the same time, flames danced through his systems and he felt like he was going to melt while simultaneously freezing and twisting.

 

Sensations and feelings he couldn’t begin to describe surged through him like a herd of Buffaloids fighting the rising swell of a vibrant ocean of fear.

 

It all ended when it felt like claws ran down his back and through his systems, making his optics and sensors finally come back online with a startling jolt.

 

**“You’ll… come… back… you… can’t…. save… them… you… can’t… save… anyone...”**

 

Unicron finally faded from his processor…

 

… and he was free…

 

Time for them all to go… Well… anywhere...


	4. Chapter 4

The base was dark and no doubt abandoned.  
Not that anyone would have rushed to help the lumbering shape anyway.   
  
Seems the Decepticons really did take to his orders when he told them to run and they fled from everything.

Of course they would, he’s a monster, he attacked them, some are dead because of him….  
  
A soft ‘thwak’ brought Galvatron’s processor back to the moment.   
Cyclonus’s arm had come loose and flopped over his torn chest giving the ex-leader a nudge back to reality.   
With a soft grumble he shifted the two unconscious bodies a little more and continued on his way.   
  
His steps were loud and echoing, each door opened with a sound like claws trying to shred concrete, did they always sound like this?   
A few lights flickered dimly as if deciding if it was worth turning on just for them, probably not.   
  
The med bay had been messed with, while fleeing it seemed some of the Decepticons had saw fit to raid the place for some supplies.   
  
With a sigh like a old steam train finally choking out it’s last, Galvatron dropped his cargo onto two available berths and his systems screamed in relief.   
Normally this wouldn’t be a problem for him, just two mecha? But his injuries were still rife from the battle they had just went through.   
  
It didn’t matter. They would heal. They always did.   
  
Applying some gentle percussive maintenance to the med bays systems Galvatron got the place humming with some weak attempt at life once more.   
  
He approached Scourge first, the mecha was undoubtedly lighter than himself and Cyclonus despite being the same size and the larger wing struts were just bigger targets, certainly during the fight they were.   
Galvatron shook his helm trying to rid himself of vague echoing memories of himself swinging wildly at Scourge, overtook in the desperate moment, and landing a few blows on the wings as he picked them up.   
His unconscious form didn’t move at the sensation of his wings being touched but Galvatron faltered, they bent and sagged in places they weren’t meant to.   
  
He did that.   
Just like Unicron said.   
Unicron was right about him.   
  
Galvatron dropped the wing and let it flop, as throbbing thoughts pounded at his processor making him stagger back and sink to the floor.   
His new spot was not much better either, just above him Cyclonus lay, bent and crooked.   
  
He did that.   
The monster.   
  
Pain called to him a sweet siren song, a delicate lullaby riding on waves of throbbing agony.   
  
Galvatron could feel the still slightly-wet cuts along his back, paint a small arc against the berth he leant on as his body lacked the energy, or the will, to fight much longer and it sagged over to the side, before collapsing the final distance down to the floor.   
Exhausted, wounded and tired in far too many ways there was nothing that could’ve kept Galvatron conscious for much longer.   
  
A weepy voice in the back of his helm hoped he wouldn’t wake up again and this would be over.   


==

  
Waking up was a different matter.   
  
It felt as though cement had been poured into every available opening, every minute gap within his systems. Feeling almost literally dusty did not aid him in the slightest either.   
A breathy, dry groan escaped his vocal unit as Galvatron rolled to his front a little more.   
  
One hand, two hand, move, repeat.   
  
Galvatron almost crawled his way forwards a staggering, full, inch.   
  
By the AllSpark he was pathetic.   
  
Maybe he should repair some of his injuries…   
  
With slow and careful movements Galvatron pulled himself over to an adjacent room, the doorway providing him with a hold on either side to hoist himself up with.   
Sparks flew and energy crackled as his systems revolted at having such pressure and work put on them.   
  
Before his self-repair systems were second to none and these kind of injuries probably would have already been healed to a decent, manageable amount, but who was he kidding, that was all Unicron too, Unicron made him who he was, Unicron did it all, who was he without Unicron? Pathetic? Mistake? Aimless? Directionless? Nothing.   
  
Galvatron cringed and his systems groaned, no, no, not now, he should push the thoughts of that thing out of his processor.   
  
He wasn’t nothing without Unicron! He… he hadn’t even had the chance to try yet! That’s all! He can do it!   
  
He can do it…   
  
He can… try…   
  
Looking at the systems Galvatron had the dawning realisation he knew nothing about them, and absolutely nothing about what he could do to fix himself.   
  
The Auto-repair systems were shot, barely able to manage the most basic of repairs at best, everything here was a joke.   
  
No wonder it was his home.   
  
With a sigh, he decided it’d have to do.

Letting the system hum to life, Galvatron slid himself onto the berth and allowed it to work.  
Mostly superficial damages were being fixed, holes and bleeds in his external systems getting patched, his support structure also got a very basic once over, with cracks and breaks being welded back together and his cuts wiped and covered over. It tried to engage in a more thorough system repair, parts requesting access to his internal systems but the machine itself didn’t even have the capability to finish it’s own request.   
  
Galvatron decided it was adequate at what it was.   
  
He could move better and looked like nothing happened, that’s all he needed.   
It had handled the worst of it, and as long as he doesn’t over-stress it his self-repair system should be able to finish it off now.   
  
He did feel grateful to have the gashes on his face patched up however. They felt the worst.   
  
The only bit of outdoor light that graced the room had slithered along the wall and Galvatron frowned. The auto-repair system had shut off a while ago.   
  
He blacked out again, didn’t he?   
  
Galvatron heaved himself off the berth, grunting painfully as it still felt like a knife was wedged in his lower abdomen, if only the repair system fixed that.   
  
He had a mission.   
  
He had to repair his friends, he had to free them… he had to… save them…   
  
Quick Stepping into the adjacent room he came to a spluttering halt.   
  
Both Scourge and Cyclonus were fixed.   
Not a dent or a smudge on them.   
An analytical panel hanging from the ceiling was hooked up to both of them, it’s screen split as it displayed both of their vitals, but, the most curious aspect of all, both of them were strapped down, clamped to the berth. It’d be a miracle if they could even turn their heads with bonds so tight.   
  
A few attempts at a word formed in Galvatron's mouth but only escaped as the most faintest of sounds.   
Swinging around the berths Galvatron strode down between them, hand on the monitor he looked over the results it showed.   
  
“Finally woke up, eh?”   
  
Galvatron froze.   
He did not recognise that voice… no, wait… he did… deep in his systems… it was so long ago now…   
He could feel his spinal strut try to bunch up, fear overtook his spark, panic embedding itself in like a burrowing Scraplet.   
  
Another person.   
He’d have to talk! He’d have to do something!   
  
“Face me.”   
  
They were cold and commanding, yet an edge of curiosity peaked in their tone.   
Galvatron relaxed his systems and un-hunched himself.   
One hand refused to leave the monitor, however, like a small safety blanket, with a twist of his pede’s he turned to face the voice.   
  
“Down here.”   
  
Nearer the end of the berths a small figure stood.   
Human.   
No, not quite.   
  
His memory circuits buzzed as a fresh load of static blared through them, but there were images to the static, sound too, he could just make it out.   
  
“S… s… sssssss… Sari?” How could he forget her name.   
  
The small hybrid had not grown an Earth-inch from the last time they’d met, when he was a different person.   
Her colours were dull however, greyed and a few streaks of dirt covered her.   
She had a scar over half of her face, optics cold and wary, her organic body was hard to see under layers of battle-grade armour forced upon her during cycles of battle.

  
  
“So, you remember me huh? Your friends here didn’t seem to” Her eyes thinned as she glared at him, an icy glare probing him for answers.   
  
“O… oh… oh… I…” Galvatron’s words died in his vocal unit, his head pounding as he struggled to say something, anything.   
  
It didn’t help, not in the slightest, when Sari relaxed.   
The sudden, almost wrong, motion send Galvatron into a minor panic.   
  
“I’M SORRY!” He squealed.   
  
“Hey, hey, calm down” Sari held her hands up, but it did not help at all.   
  
“I’M SORRY!” He squealed again and the monitor was released from his grip. Galvatron sunk to his knees, his forehelm touching the ground as he practically tried to force himself into it, “I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY! I’M SORRY!” He continued to shriek.   
  
“ENOUGH!” Sari yelled, silencing him, “I’m not here to fight”   
  
Sari paused, waiting for an answer, but Galvatron just looked at her with wet optics and let out a quiet sniffle.   
  
“I mean, if I was, wouldn’t I have brought all the Autobots with me?” She tried again, Galvatron merely looked around the room, although his view was hampered by him keeping his face pressed to the ground, “Will you sit up?” Sari hissed a little annoyed.   
  
Galvatron obeyed.   
  
“I came here because I saw what happened. You fought these two, didn’t you?” She gestured to Cyclonus and Scourge on the berths.   
  
Galvatron nodded weakly, unable to look at the two motionless figures.   
  
“I saw you crying” She added as if it answered everything.   
  
Galvatron nodded again, the very mention of it practically provoking his systems to begin weeping once more, but a hasty sniffle managed to stop him from full-blown tears.   
  
“I’ve never seen a Decepticon do that… I’ve never heard you beg for forgiveness as you fight… My curiosity was peaked” She added.   
  
“Ah” Galvatron quietly choked out.   
  
“What’s going on?” Her voice turned stern and demanding again and she stepped forwards.   
  
“I’m sorry!” Galvatron whimpered quickly, “I deserve it! Whatever it is!”   
  
“What?” Sari backed up again, “Look, I’m… I…” She cocked her head and looked him over, “I won’t hurt you, I just want to know why the most feared monst… ah, Decepticons ever known were fighting amongst themselves while their leader bawled his optics out!”   
  
“It doesn’t matter… It was all for nothing… I couldn’t help them… I couldn’t save them…” Galvatron covered his head with his arms and curled up.   
  
“Save… them…? You’re talking about that planet-eating monster aren’t you?”   
  
Galvatron shrieked like he’d been shot, tears escaped from him freely.   
Did everyone know?   
No, everyone shouldn’t know, why should they?   
No one deserves this?   
No one deserves him!   
No one deserves that!   
Was Unicron common knowledge?   
Who was he hurting now?   
Oh, come on Galvatron, you know the answer to that!   
Everyone!   
Unicron’s hurting everyone!   
It’s all his fault!   
He left Unicron!   
He left and now Unicron has no toys!   
  
The room was empty when he looked back at it, no Cyclonus, no Scourge, no Sari.   
But there was a shadow, grinning as it seeped in through the ceiling.   
  
Unicron was hurting everyone!   
It’s all his fault!   
He should never have left!   
  
Galvatron was vaguely aware of himself shrieking.   
  
Sorry Unicron.   
Sorry.   
Sorry sorry!   
I don’t…   
Please don’t…   
  
Galvatron lunged at the shadow seeping in.   
  
Are you happy now Unicron?   
Yes, of course you are.   
He loved watching them fight.   
Are you happy now Unicron?   
Will you stop hurting them?   
I’ll be good.   
I’ll be good.   
Please.   
  
The shadow was gone and instead something blue and burning hit him in the head.   
Feeling like all his energy was gone anyway, Galvatron collapsed with a whimper.   
  
The room seemed a bit more normal now.   
  
Something was cycling air through it’s vents, hard.   
  
“Uuugh,” He groaned, “Ow”   
  
“Get up” The cold commanding tone jabbed into him like a dagger.   
  
“Yes Unicr-!” Galvatron blurted out with a harsh obedient tone, but that name tasted like vile, bitter poison and he gagged himself before completing it, but still stood up.   
Looking around the room once more, he found the source of the noise and the blue burning thing.   
  
Sari floated an arms length away, her own arm stretched out and in weapon-mode as she panted heavily. The floor where she once stood was suspiciously dented and new scratches littered the place, her and Galvatron.   
  
“Yes?” Galvatron croaked, notifications pinging in his processor that he’d obtained a few new lacerations and dents himself.   
  
Sari squinted back at him, she must have attacked him for screaming rather than answering, yes, that’s it, he deserved it anyway.   
  
“It is… that ‘moon-eating monster’, he… he controls us… well… he sort of made us too… he owns us...” Galvatron felt the words tumble out of his mouth freely now, no point in trying to bury the memory she knew of him anyway.   
  
“Is he still controlling you?” Sari refused to move, seemingly ready for a fight.   
  
“N...no! I don’t think so! He left me! I think so… W...wh… when I… I touched the AllSpark!” Galvatron felt his spark race and energon pump burn as words spilled from him, “I touched it and then I saw how bad everything was! It’s awful! I hate it! I… I hate him! He laughed at us! This is all funny to him! Like a game! He… he hurt me! He hurt US! He… Unicron did it, I was so stupid, I believed him, he said it was all going to…” Galvatron sunk back to the floor, hands sticking themselves to his helm as he groaned “I… just want all this pain to go… It’s… consuming… I… He… We...”   
  
Sari landing back on the ground sounded like two buildings falling over as the noise shattered the eerie silence left when Galvatron gave up the fight with his stuttering vocaliser and shut up.   
  
Her weapon was largely deactivated but the low-level glow from her palm betrayed it.   
She approached.   
Her hand touched his pede.   
A short blast from her jetpack and she was up on his knee guard, sat there, staring at him, like an Osmium Owl.   
Although Galvatron could only see her feet, he didn’t want to look at her he didn’t want to face her.   
  
Sari didn’t like that and hovered over until she took up his field of vision.   
She was angry.   
There was searing fury that would have sent the very stars cowering.   
  
“Unicron ate Earth” She snarled.   
  
Galvatron felt the panic rise again, his faceplates twitched uncontrollably, he tired glancing around, anything to avoid her, to avoid the boiling, squirming feel of empty horror, but she was not having it and followed his gaze.   
  
“My Father was on that planet. MY DAD!, and your ‘BOSS’ ate him AND my planet!” She shrieked, “That was CYCLES ago! SO MANY that my dad was still alive! Oh yeah, he’d be dead by now, it’s been too long for a ordinary human to live, but NO, that thing took him while he still breathed!”   
  
Sari reared back and punched him, her powered-up form decorating his forehelm with a hefty dent.   
  
“I tried approaching this calmly… nicely but… but you will show me EVERYTHING! THEN I will decide on what YOU THREE deserve!” Her fist crackled with a familiar blue energy prompting an equally familiar scene to play out in his head again.   
  
Drifting through space, angry, bitter, alone.   
Until that green light bathed the very void itself as he came to you.   
Only now, an angry girl stood by watching, waiting, judging...


	5. Chapter 5

When it was all said and done, there was silence.

The room echoed with the loud thunderous sound of four air ventilation systems elevated to their cacophonous state by the cold looming presence of… something.  
It couldn’t remain quiet forever and even then, it all rested on one.  
  
Sari was the important one here.  
Her choice now meant everything.  
  
She looked horrified, she looked torn, she looked ruined.  
  
“You still…” She uttered, “It was still you… you…”  
  
Galvatron could see it in her eyes, she wanted to be furious, there was still a burning rage that wanted to be vented, but a wet sadness also threatened to smother her face.  
She looked tired.  
  
“It’s never easy is it? It’s never FUCKING easy” She shrieked, “It can’t just be black and white this once, everything’s gone to shit and I CAN’T be thrown ONE DAMN BONE and be given a easy time… A easy choice…” Her small hands were rubbing at her face as she began pacing around in circles.  
  
“I’m sorry” Galvatron said.  
  
“No! No, you shut up! And stop apologising!” She hissed.  
  
“No” Galvatron snapped back without hesitation making Sari stop to glare at him, “I… I mean… I know it’s my fault… I… I should be sorry… I caused this… And I don’t know how to fix it…”  
  
“Fix… it? … FIX IT!? You think you can just fix the death of millions!?”  
  
“No, I…”  
  
“The death of my father!”  
  
“No! I…”  
  
“The death of my friends!”  
  
“No…”  
  
“The destruction of my home!”  
  
“No…”  
  
“Then what!? What are you even thinking!?”  
  
“I… don’t know…” Galvatrons voice had increased in pitch and he began to feel himself crumple, he pulled his knees up and drew his hands to his helm, clutching it tightly as he squeezed his optics shut, “I don’t know anymore”  
  
“Yeah, well, you and me bloody both, eh?” She glared at him, raising up in the air to be closer and glare more directly at him fire in her tiny optics, she had played his memory circuits like a home movie and hated what she saw.

It left them both in silence again.  
  
What was there to say?  
  
It wasn’t like they’d particularly interacted before all this mess began.  
  
Before… he started it.

“Is… is it okay?” Galvatron whispered quietly.  
  
“Look around you!” Sari snapped, arms outstretched and she spun in the air as if showing off the mess around them, “do you think anyone is okay in this wasteland!?”  
  
“No… I mean… Should we have left…. left him?” Galvatron almost couldn’t hear his own voice.  
  
“I…” Sari faltered.  
  
“There isn’t anyone out there who’d accept us like he would is there?” Resignation prickled through his spark.  
  
“No…” It was Sari’s turn to whisper now she had seen everything, from their view and hers.  
  
“Ah… He’s right… we are… our place is with him”  
  
“No it isn’t!” Sari reflexively snapped she couldn’t tell if it was in response to hearing such defeatist talk or being able to vividly hear through his memories of a terrible voice speaking in such callous disdain.

  
  
“Just… I don’t know…” Galvatron uttered, struggling with his vocaliser and lip plates practically trying to escape his helm, “Take them instead”  
  
“What?” Sari squinted at him, as the only other awake person here it was clear he was going to get the brunt of whatever she decided to dish out.  
Galvatron was more than willing to accept it.  
  
“It was me, I made a deal with that thing… they didn’t” He gestured to the two unconscious forms beside them, “Do what you want to me, just please accept them, take them, do whatever, just don’t let them suffer for what I did, what I caused, they could earn a place that’s not at his side…”  
  
Sari’s expression didn’t change, her demeanour instead seemed… angry.  
“What? Are you for real? Do you expect me to fall over myself for you because of that? That I’ll bend over myself to forgive you like nothing happened as you wallow in stupid self-pity?”  
  
“No,” Galvatron snapped, a tiny prickle of anger… no panic… no… something rising in his Spark “I think I made the point clear I don’t want you to ‘fall over yourself’ for me, but for them, I told you, do what you want to me bad or good, I don’t care! I don’t want your sympathy or anything! I just… I… My responsibility…” Nope, whatever that feeling was it vanished once more.  
  
Sari turned away from him and let out a long puff of air from her fleshy nasal unit as she stepped down onto the ground once more.  
“What are you expecting of me then? What do you think I should do, Mister ‘I want to fix it’, I’ve watched almost all the people I cared about die horribly, I’ve seen one home get hoovered up like a wayward crumb on a carpet and another become choked by war… And now I’ve come to find that the ones who were a part of all this, were nothing more than puppets, lead along and… and… screwed about by the real monster behind all this. A bunch of bad bots who should’ve been punished for things they’ve done but instead… dealt with that”  
  
“And that’s…” Galvatron’s optics sunk to the floor, she was absolutely right, about everything. Seemed more and more that that was the case, he was wrong far far more than he cared to admit, but there was an idea in itself, “And that’s what I don’t know, we hardly know anything outside what ‘he’ made us do… teach us”  
  
“WHAT!?” Sari spun back to face him.  
  
“Teach us!” Galvatron shuffled onto his knees and bowed to her once more, forehelm touching the floor and servos clasped together, “Will you teach us? We… We will be yours to command! Guide us! Help us help you! We don’t want to be this anymore! Believe it or not but our intention was not to slaughter our own world! It was… It was…”  
  
“He made it feel good… didn’t he?… Like a daze hardly aware of what you were doing…” Sari ‘finished’ his line, “Too caught up in a whirlwind of… of pain and artificial pleasure…”  
  
“Y… yes…” Despite having his face pressed to the floor Galvatron somehow managed to get his optics to sink lower.  
  
Sari breathed deep, rubbing her eyes, shoulders bunched up in frustration yet sagging with defeat.  
  
“Why aren’t they like you?” She finally asked.  
  
“W-what?”  
  
“If I’m to teach you or do anything with you, tell me what their deal is” She gestured at the two beds.  
  
Galvatron leant up and looked over Scourge and Cyclonus once more. He’d seen the straps binding them, yet somehow never thought of asking about them.  
“Why… are they strapped down?”  
  
“Because they attacked me” Sari closed the distance a little “They woke up and were immediately out to fight, but I can’t get answers from dead things, so I knocked them out and tied them down. They didn’t even say a word, something I noticed when you were fighting them too, not a peep. Why aren’t they like you? Why are you different?”  
  
Sat back on his haunches Galvatron rubbed his chin then his head.  
“The only… This all… oh… OH… This all started when I got that jolt of energy from the AllSpark!” He snapped his fingers.  
  
“The AllSpark? How’d you get to that!?”  
  
“That guy whose, uh, currently leading the Autobots, I don’t know their name, but he had it around his neck!” Galvatron pulled his legs out from under him and sat cross-legged, gesturing vaguely with his hands, “I hit it then I blacked out! It’s energy counteracted ‘his’ and I was cut loose! It took a while to completely cut him out of my processor but I can definitely… yeah! That’s what caused this!”  
  
Sari looked to the floor, thinking, pondering. She didn’t know the name of the bot who lead the Autobots now either. She had left them for a nomadic lifestyle away from either side a long time ago, it had just gotten too much.  
Of course she still kept contact with what was left of her friends, but that was about it.  
  
“So… I can help them” She eventually responded.  
  
“Y… you can? Oh! Does… does this mean… you’ll do it? You’ll help us? Be our leader? Teach us?” Galvatron clasped his hands together, trying to hide the smile, hide his joyous anticipation. It was hard, so hard, this might just be the first good news… ever, the excitement threatened to tear and rip open his spark with the utmost ferocity.  
  
“I’m still connected to the AllSparks energy, it’s weak, but I could banish this demon from their minds… But it may well be the last time I can use any power from it” She looked pensive, nervous. Debating if her last use of the AllSpark-energy within her should be risked upon these miscreants.  
  
“T…take a chance?” Galvatron uttered as if sensing her internal debate over using her power and the potential outcome.  
  
Sari rubbed her face again, pulling her features about, trying to hide the tired tiny upwards curl at the side of her mouth.  
“Wow… That was so pathetic I might just do it”  
  
“But I shouldn’t get my hopes up, right?” Galvatron sunk away a little, he was pathetic, useless, nobody to accept him, no one but…  
  
“I’ll try” Words snapped him from beginning his negative spiral.  
  
“W-what?”  
  
“I said I’ll try. If you guys do turn out to be an utter waste I can just reabsorb the energy back from them! And maybe charge myself up a bit and take what AllSpark energy went into you!” She threatened, “So don’t think you’re getting off for anything!”  
  
“Wouldn’t dream of it!” Galvatron found himself brimming with energy, it made him shake uncontrollably, what were these feelings?  
Happiness, excitement… hope.  
He liked these…  
Galvatron never wanted them to end! Even if the force of these new emotions bubbling through him refused to let him stay still making him trip and stumble as he attempted the simple action of standing up.  
  
“Get in the corner” Sari ordered, pretending she wasn’t gaining some sort of amusement from watching such a big previously-intimidating form wobble excitedly like a newborn fawn.  
  
She didn’t strictly have sleeves to roll up anymore, but the action of rubbing her arms in a similar motion still felt good, felt ‘preparatory’ she still shuffled nervously, shaking her arms and legs, hopping from foot to foot, exhaling sharply multiple times.  
  
Was she really going to do this?  
  
She COULD just take her energy back from them, right?  
  
Did she even have enough left to free them?  
  
Did she even want to? Should she be taking pity on them?  
  
They had done bad things and been mean, but they were brutally tortured… she felt like she’d seen something similar to this before, echoes of yellow chasing green and swapping helms, a spider and a truck one always trying to chase the other to bring them back…  
They’d been mean too, then got tortured and…

Raising into the air Sari hovered a good distance above the berths.  
  
No, she was doing the right thing.  
Her friends would understand if they were looking down on her.  
  
The familiar, yet distant, thrum of the AllSparks energy flowed through her, the room almost fading to black in comparison to the bright light that began emanating from her, her body engulfed in a crackling sphere of blue light. Her hands splayed out, each in the direction of a berth smaller spheres of light broke off from her body, travelling to her palms and building up in size and strength.  
  
She was taking a chance on these weirdos just like her friends had taken chances on others before, it wasn’t a bad thing to do.  
It was the right choice, it had to be.  
  
Energy arced in wild streaks and patterns, like a wild untamable storm raging through one small room. With only minimal directing the beams pierced the chest plates of the two unconscious forms and rushed through their systems.  
The binds around them snapped and their bodies lifted into the air as if coming forth to meet and greet the energy that came to them.  
  
There was nothing wrong with at least trying to extend a hand of peace and friendship, even to those who had been bad.

**“Amusing”**  
  
Sari flinched.  
She hadn’t heard the voices belonging to the two below her, but in an instant she could tell who’s that was.  
  
She could feel a dark tingle brushing around the edge of her power, through them, the malicious energy of that planet-eating ghoul clawing at her cleansing attempts like spiteful animals as they backed away from the light.  
  
 **“Take them.”**  It sighed like a know-it-all parent watching their child do something stupid,  **“They’re useless. They know I’m all they have. They’ll crawl back no matter what you do.”**  
  
It was gone. In an instant.  
All gone.  
  
He dropped them and without his essence plaguing their systems her energy gave one last powerful pulse throughout her, and them, like Unicron had been containing it and without him it rushed forth uncontrollably like wisps of serpentine smoke and light being purged, tinged green energy fading out as a purer blue energy took over.  
  
Sari could only gasp in surprise as she shut away her energy and dropped to the floor, disorientated and woozy, she struggled on the ground before managing to seat herself upon it.  
  
“Sari? Sari!?” Galvatron’s voice sounded muffled as her sensors buzzed and hummed, trying to reboot themselves, but she could see his hands twitching and hovering around her as if wanting to reach out and touch her, to check if she was alright but unable to bring themselves to do it.  
  
Sari waved her arm, signalling she was fine and his hands promptly pulled back and his fussing ceased.  
  
Useless? He’s all they have?  
  
Well, now she had made up her mind, she was going to help them. To spite that bastard at the very least.


	6. Chapter 6

Sari huffed once more as she pulled herself to her feet, the expenditure of her energy took some time to adjust to but it wasn’t the end of the world.  
Again.  
  
Standing back she watched as Galvatron flitted back and forth from berth to berth, the bonds had snapped during her outpour of power but he still fussed about them and moved them as if trying to readjust them over and over.  
  
“We should move them” Sari rubbed her hands together, she was their leader now time to give out some orders and prove certain creatures wrong.  
  
“There’s… plenty of empty rooms” Galvatron mumbled as he thought about the ‘cons who fled, “We have this base to ourselves.”  
  
“Good. Less interference” Sari gave him a nod and waved her hand, should be enough.  
  
Seemed so, as Galvatron hefted each bot into his arms, managing to have them ‘seated’ on said arms while the majority of their bulk flopped onto his shoulders. It still caused him to lean backwards at a strange angle.  
Sari would have suggested two trips but instead, she watched in semi-stunned silence as he was determined to support both of them at once.  
  
Galvatron continued his awkward waddle-shuffle down a dim corridor before turning into a nearby room.  
It was large and featureless, even the walls had no marks on them.  
The Med bay must’ve received the brunt of whatever damage befell the base, or at least the rest of the place was less grubby.  
  
The unconscious duo were placed to the ground and left there as Galvatron backed up to the wall next to Sari and watched expectantly.  
It was a weird moment of silence before Sari rolled her eyes and boosted up until she perched on Galvatron’s shoulder getting a nervous titter out of the big ‘con as he tensed up at the strange motion.  
  
“So, who were they again, like before-before, I mean I have no idea how this is going to go but my ‘intuition’ is saying they may act like their base programming before settling back into their real, uh, current selves” Sari was unmoved by the tense nervousness of her perch and leaned against the side of his helm.  
  
“They were… Those clones, I didn’t spend enough time to really distinguish them, nor did I bother to name them, or see much of them, in fact, I think the only time I ever really saw any of them was during that one fight… Then y’know when it turned out they’d all come back to Earth and jumped me” Galvatron almost moved to rub his chin as he thought about the dealings he’d had with Starscream’s clones, which was minimal, to say the least, but the tiny weight on his shoulder felt like a pinprick preventing him from moving, so he stayed rigid.  
  
“Oh goody, we get to temporarily deal with little bits of Starscream, I might’ve reconsidered if I’d known, eh?” Sari made a light-hearted chuckle and decided to lift off, hovering nearby and ‘freeing’ Galvatron from his pose, making a gesture as if she were somehow nudging him and only shutting the one optic repeatedly.  
  
“I… Don’t say that. It feels bad to insult him… and them” Galvatron sagged, trying to remember the events of Earth felt like looking down a tube with every thought and image plastered long it.  
  
“Whoa hold on there, you’re serious?” Sari raised a brow at him, making sure he looked at her as she postured.  
  
“Well… Yeah! I mean… I killed him first and kept doing it! I was… You knew me! I was such, such a…” Galvatron had been looking at her like she grew another head.  
  
“A bastard?” She folded her arms.  
  
Galvatron sunk back a little, looking at the floor and shyly fiddling with his fingers.  
“Yeah… I was…”  
  
Sari let out a breath, her arms still crossed yet she couldn’t find any anger within herself, at him or them, deciding that, in the circumstances, it was a bit mean-spirited to have said that.  
  
It was a waiting game from there on out, a wait to see when they’d wake, who’d wake first and how they’d act.  
  
It seemed like a terribly long time before there were even slight ghosts of movement from either.  
Even then it was nothing more than slight twitches.  
  
Sari looked back at Galvatron, at some point he’d propped himself against the wall, head hanging and optics dim, worn out from emotional outbursts and cruising on low power during the quiet period.  
  
“OH SWEET- GAH” Sari’s jet’s sputtered a bit as she flailed in the air, in the time it had taken her to merely glance over at Galvatron, one of their new friends had managed to sit bolt upright, and the other had his arms partially raised.  
  
Galvatron jerked awake, scanning the entire room in a panic before eventually settling on the awake party.  
“Scourge?”  
  
Scourge in question hardly responded to his name but instead looked over his paw-like hands, wing-struts twitching as he processed the current proceedings.  
“Ah yes” He eventually uttered, “Scourge, such a befitting name for one such as I!” His chest plates puffed out with pride.  
  
“Oh god, I hope this isn’t his full personality” Sari groaned quietly.  
  
“As if!” Scourge hopped to his feet, “I am phenomenal! I think you’ll find the full me is something to be desired!”  
  
“Or leaves something to be desired” Sari whispered mumbled under her breath, “Uh you handle him” She spoke a bit louder gesturing for Galvatron to take a handle of Mr Full-of-himself.  
  
“Scourge! Scourge do you remember me?” Galvatron had chosen to ignore all of Sari’s utterances and stepped forwards, hands slightly outstretched wondering about taking hold of Scourge’s arms, to see if it were real or not.  
  
“With my superior memory circuits! How could I not?” Scourge danced around the question slightly as he strode forwards, circling Galvatron while examining his own claws.  
  
“Oh, I’m so glad!” Galvatron seemed oblivious to Scourge’s attitude or disinterest or to the fact Scourge’s face faltered a little bit as if he was starting to think of other things.  
  
“What is this place?” He stopped in front of Galvatron, slowly looking at the blank unassuming walls, twitching a little, “It is not befitting of my… my… is it fitting? Where I belong?”  
  
“You belong with us! With me and Cyclonus! We’re… doing our best from now on!” Galvatron fumbled through a few words trying to pick out something adequate to say.  
  
Meanwhile Sari was floating over Cyclonus, his servo’s were still only raised a little and even then, they were hovering near his chest as if wary and guarding of it. His face was frozen, mouth slightly agape as his optics practically rattled in their sockets as a low-level shudder seemed to constantly hum through his systems.  
  
“Hi there” Sari greeted him.  
  
“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHAHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA” Sari was left to flinch and wave her arms about in a disjointed dance of panic as the bot below her reacted with a terrified shriek and in a few spasmodic movements that looked as if he was trying to shed his own limbs as a diversion, Cyclonus managed to throw himself along the floor and press himself against a nearby wall.  
  
That didn’t seem to be it as Cyclonus drew his knees up and covered his face with his hands, making a low distressed wail.  
Scourge had also been startled by the shriek, as had Galvatron, the two bots had turned to look at the loud display.  
  
“A scream!?” Scourge growled, “You dare attack the likes of me! I’ll! I’ll…! I’ll do something!”  
  
Scourge swung back at Galvatron lunging towards him, the attack, however, was half-hearted and unsure, it was like throwing a piece of paper at a tornado levels of pathetically unsure and largely seemed to be more of a knee-jerk response to the sound.  
  
“Please don’t hurt me” Cyclonus begged.  
  
“No! No, none of us want to hurt either of you!” Sari flitted between the two bots, struggling to pick between who to go to and what to do first.  
  
“Oh” Scourge suddenly seemed to drop all of his attitude, the way his body resettled you could’ve sworn he deflated like a balloon, “okay”  
  
In fact, both of them suddenly seemed to resettle, looking smaller, meeker their optics practically sunken into their helms. It was like watching there will leave them.  
  
Sari could only guess their actual selves had caught up with them now, and their burst of personality from their prior selves faded away, especially as they too likely re-experienced… certain aspects of their life.  
  
“Why not? We deserve it” Cyclonus was the one to respond, his voice practically distinctly different, deeper, smoother. Yet he did not move from his spot all he did was flop his arms to the side and stare at a spot beyond the floor.  
  
“Probably not worth it” Scourge uttered, his voice now a growling tone like several animals had just gained the power to speak.  
  
“H… hey, no, no don’t say that” Galvatron stammered, Sari shot him a look, he was not sounding in any way inspiring right now.  
  
“I’m the boss around here!” Sari interrupted and took charge, “And I say we’re not going to hurt you, so we won’t and that’s final!” she announced loudly, ensuring her voice filled the room.  
  
“Galvatron is our leader” Cyclonus stated, “And we all follow… We follow U…”  
  
Sari watched as Cyclonus reeled, the shaking that had once rattled his body returned and his face scrunched up, glancing back Sari saw Scourge do the same, his wings curled around him a little and his hands were hovering near his helm.  
Galvatron also didn’t seem to take the reference well either and Sari could distinctly see his lip plates wobble and his optics glaze over.  
  
“Well, I, damn it” Sari cursed, “Look, he’s no longer in your bodies anymore! Think about it, none of you can feel him anymore, can you! He has no control anymore!” She tried to urge.  
  
Having spent longer awake and free it had a quicker effect on Galvatron who rubbed his face and cycled out a few heavy vents.  
  
“Yeah… yeah, she’s right” He nodded as if trying to reassure everyone, including himself, “We’re free, we can, we can be ourselves, we can FIND ourselves, we… we can, we can do it! We’re here, we’re together, we, we can do it!”  
  
Sari gave him a thumbs-up, it was no rallying cry but it was something, they had something now.  
Sari didn’t need to finish that little train of thought as Galvatron physically finished it for her.  
  
He looked awkward and shuffled slightly like a dizzy penguin but he made a step forward and grabbed Scourge around the collar, pulling him closer and wrapping his arm around the blue mech, before pulling him along too. Scourge stumbled and tripped over himself as they closed in on Cyclonus and he too fell to his knees as Galvatron knelt in front of the other seeker and flopped forwards, curling his other arm around him.  
  
Sari watched the trio hug, or more accurately be hugged together by Galvatron, and smiled.  
It was a comforting sight to see and filled her with a warm feeling that maybe, just maybe, there was some hope after all. 


End file.
